michelle “milo” white paintings

i’m in a michelle mood today. with two els. i think i may be doing focused posts based on people’s names again in the future, because it’s fun! anyway, let’s circle back to the brilliant talents of san francisco artist michelle “milo” white for a moment. i am wild about milo’s unique illustration style and at the time i wrote about her i don’t think she was selling her work, so i am so glad to see that she’s sharing some of her wonderful paintings with all of us now!

i am really stoked to know that i can buy one of these 3 x 5″ originals, framed, for just $100. viva milo!

purchase these pieces and see much more at her website, and be sure to check out her blog too.

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tony forte photography & design: miniview

i am back in the saddle this week and today’s miniview brings us more insight into the projects of tony forte, a graphic designer who creates works through digital techniques and photography with strong urban themes. tony’s photography is striking and his rich mixed media pieces with glints of vintage influence intrigue me, so i thought i’d ask a few questions…

q: where do you live and where do you create your work?
a: i’m living in north new jersey, and all the creative workload gets done in my office/studio which is also in jersey.

q: do you have a formal education in art or design?
a: i have a degree: applied science in visual communication and graphic design. i’ve been drawing since I was a kid, and have always appreciated photography.

q: can you tell us a little about the backyard project you have founded?
a: backyard project was founded in late 2005. it was a venture that i had been trying to get off the ground for a very long time. it was tough with working during the day, and bar tending at night. (NO sleep.) me and dan puleo, a friend and artist who shared similar taste when it came to throwing ideas around, launched the backyard site. we had put some cash together to get the website up and running. it was a great way to finally get some more exposure, and also develop a t-shirt/apparel line, with one-color design concepts. the apparel mainly concentrates on simple designs that represent our everyday creative outlook in our neighborhood, that we can share with the world.

q: do you have a favorite piece in your collection?
a: um, i think one of my favorite pieces is “Yesterday” (below) which can be also viewed with many other pieces of mine on my website. i really do NOT get tired of looking at that piece, i feel that i get something else that pops out of it every time i look at it. it’s hanging in my apartment.

thank you tony!

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advice to sink in slowly poster series

when i was a freshman in college, it would have been nice to get some sage advice from the more experienced kids on campus about what school would be like. the first year students at the university college falmouth receive a gift of a poster from recent graduates, permanently inked with tidbits of wisdom and gorgeous, inventive design. it’s called the advice to sink in slowly series. the more you peruse the selection here, the more you realize that it’s not just filled with a sense of humor and clever musings, but also astute advice that can be applied in everyday life too.

rebecca cobb; carys williams

temujin doran; luke tonge

david plant; jane laurie

i’ll take these over cheesy motivational posters anyday!

bonus: if you like them, you can buy them! the A3 (11″ x 17″) posters are only £5.00 each, so why not buy more than one?

purchase them here and be sure to check out their flickr stream too!

via kitsune noir

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msao typography prints

seattle artists marianne sao and deborah crump worked in the graphic design and marketing industries separately for quite some time before they decided to combine their skills and creative vision. they’ve recently released their limited edition black and white griffonage series of 11″ x 17″ prints, which showcase manipulated typography and tiny thoughtful quotations. the elegant results land somewhere between graffiti and calligraphy, and are charming, bold and engaging.

griffonage means a type of illegible scrawl, but the message looks very clear to me.

so does the talent.

purchase these pieces and see the rest of the series right here.

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miraentuinterior wall decals

i enjoy bold graphics, so i really like all the wall decals that are floating around the universe right now, because it gives you a relatively inexpensive and noncommittal way to add drama to your interiors. i am especially infatuated with this knitting hands wall decal from barcelona’s witty miraentuinterior - and i don’t even knit! of course if i put this up in my soon-to-be-converted craft room, maybe that would change…

it’s offered in 24 different colors on their website, and you can see from up above that you also have the option of placing a variety of background colors behind the graphic to help visualize it on your own wall.

truth be told, all their designs are super cool.

via cribcandy

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2008 noa bembibre calendar

hurrah! clever spanish graphic designer noa bembibre has released her 2008 calendar into the universe, and just like last year’s, her amusing, playful and nonsensical phrases do not disappoint!

thank you noa for letting me know!

it’s about 11 x 17″, and you can purchase it for 22 euros on noa’s website, or for us $35 at kiosk.

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boris bally recycled metal collection

look at this transit series accessory and furniture collection from rhode island-based artist boris bally. it’s bold, poppy and functional. boris carefully selects each salvaged sign from huge piles in scrap yards, and rivets them together to create his uniquely modern american work. for boris, this ironic collection makes a statement not only about recycling, but also represents our culture’s struggle for success, as well as bucking authority.

boris’ work is in the permanent collection at the smithsonian, the cooper hewitt and the victoria and albert museums.

you can purchase his industrially stylish works at guild.

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(fantastic) michelle white illustrations

i am really nuts about this brilliant work from california (by way of florida) artist michelle white. michelle graduated from the ringling college of art & design. she has been creating her illustrations and paintings and residing in san francisco for the last ten years. she’s recently become a full time freelance artist, after working as an editorial artist for a variety of traditional and online publications. her pieces are made with pen and ink or graphite pencil on textured paper, their colors then subtly enhanced digitally. other pieces are made with color and graphite washes and are created on wood.

to me, there is a noteworthy amount of tension and contrast in this collection. i feel like i’m staring into the eyes of a real person, there is that much rare and melancholy depth of emotion here. and i could stare for quite a long time. the cracked up faces that look like chiseled stained glass, the mostly somber color palettes and the consistent, expressive nature and themes of love, dreams, childhood innocence and broken promises are so affecting.

isn’t it fantastic?

michelle will be showing a doll in the upcoming kokeshi doll show at subtext in san diego, which opens november 3rd.

she does not currently sell prints of her work, but she does make her paintings available for sale.

see michelle’s portfolio here. her blog is also an excellent place to see her terrific work and of course to contact her!

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whimsical art and accessories by dora drimalas

california artist dora drimalas is a graphic designer and a principal of hybrid design, along with her husband, brian flynn. their clients include nike, vans and starwood hotels. she and brian saw a need for fun and stylish home accessories at reasonable prices, so hybrid home was created.

it started as a hobby for dora in portland, where she made small pillows for her apartment.

since that time, dora has combined her love of modern interiors and graphic sensibility, to create a line of friendly, modern accessories.

some of her newest work includes these very au courant silkscreened posters.

i love her color choices and the happy feeling her prints convey.

see more samplings of dora’s work and purchase it at design public.

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the colorful, magnificent art of joy ang

i just came across the greatest katamari interpretation ever. it’s a pencil cover, from canadian artist joy ang:

as it turns out, yarn isn’t the only medium joy employs. she is also a fantastic illustrator.

joy uses a variety of traditional and mixed media to achieve her ultimate goal: to stir the emotions of the people who view it.

she admires subtlety and believes that as much can be said through it as exaggeration.

i love her interpretation of the chinese zodiac! 

she is currently on exhibit here.
for more about joy, click here. 
to purchase her prints, click here.

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